Category: News And Announcements

More Americans are expressing trust and confidence in state courts, according to the National Center for State Courts’ annual State of the State Courts survey.

The newly released 2024 survey shows that nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans express trust and confidence in America’s state courts. It’s the second consecutive year that the trust barometer has moved up.

“Public trust and confidence is the stock and trade of the courts,” said Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the D.C. Court of Appeals. “It’s heartening to see this survey reflect that most Americans feel we are earning that trust. As national court leaders, we are committed to earning that confidence every day.”

The 2024 survey also reveals that 63% of Americans agree that state courts are “committed to protecting individual and civil rights” and that 59% believe that state courts “treat people with dignity and respect.”

Read the full NCSC news release here: Nearly two-thirds of Americans express trust in state courts, says new poll | NCSC

The 1^st Quarter Board Meeting was held on December 9, 2024, at the Supreme Court of Virginia in Richmond, VA.  Members of the SJI Board, Executive Director, Jonathan Mattiello, and Senior Program Advisor, Michelle White, were joined by Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals Marla Decker, State Court Administrator Karl Hade, and other court staff.

SJI received fourteen grant applications requesting a total of $1,459,487 for the 1^st quarter of FY 2025.

The Board awarded one Strategic Initiative Grant to the Justice Management Institute to assess online case resolution (OCR) feasibility nationwide, introduce OCR to two states and plan for pilots in two jurisdictions.

Three (3) Project Grants were awarded to: 1) the Maryland Judiciary to support a statewide behavioral health summit; 2) the National Association for Court Management to develop and deliver nationally significant educational programs to include in-person and remote opportunities; and 3) to the Montana Supreme Court to create infrastructure to grow the cadre of skilled Community Justice Workers, and build state approval for the non-attorney advocates to represent consumer debtors and tenants in evictions.

Six (6) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded: 1) the Indiana Office of Judicial Administration to develop a Behavioral Health Action Plan to be disseminated to judicial officers statewide; 2) Washington County, Oregon, to establish a framework that will lead to positive outcomes for probation and justice-involved youth; 3) the Judicial Council of California to improve caseflow management in all case types; 4) the Second Judicial District Court to assess operations and caseflow management in the court; 5) the Idaho Supreme Court to support a strategic planning initiative; and 6) Supreme Court of New Mexico to conduct an in-depth study of the process for admission to the New Mexico Bar. 

Two (2) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded: 1) the Oregon Judicial Department to host a statewide training summit for the jury services staff; and 2) the National Association of Women Judges to develop training on AI for courts focused on helping self-represented litigants (SRLs). The training, offered at conferences and online, will cover AI tools that enhance judicial efficiency, detect falsified evidence, and support SRLs.

The next deadline for grant applications is February 1, 2025.

The FY 2025 1st Quarter SJI Board meeting was held yesterday, December 9th, 2024, at the Supreme Court of Virginia, in Richmond, VA. SJI Executive Director, Jonathan Mattiello, Senior Program Advisor, Michelle White, and members of the SJI Board were joined by Karl R. Hade, of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

#SJIBoardofDirectors #SJIBoard #SupremeCourtofVirginia #StateJusticeInstitute

Funded by the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies LLC, launched the Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC) to showcase the strengths of rural communities and highlight the cross-sector collaboration that is a hallmark of rural justice systems. These strengths include strong professional networks, deep ties to the communities they serve, resiliency, and ingenuity. The Rural Justice Collaborative is guided by an advisory council of rural practitioners representing the judiciary, public safety, behavioral health, public health, child welfare, victim services and other stakeholder-focused justice systems. The advisory council guides the initiative and has focused initial efforts on advancing innovation, promoting collaboration, and raising awareness of rural justice system needs.

Funded by the State Justice Institute, the National Center for State Courts, in partnership with Rulo Strategies LLC, launched the Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC) to showcase the strengths of rural communities and highlight the cross-sector collaboration that is a hallmark of rural justice systems. These strengths include strong professional networks, deep ties to the communities they serve, resiliency, and ingenuity. The Rural Justice Collaborative is guided by an advisory council of rural practitioners representing the judiciary, public safety, behavioral health, public health, child welfare, victim services and other stakeholder-focused justice systems. The advisory council guides the initiative and has focused initial efforts on advancing innovation, promoting collaboration, and raising awareness of rural justice system needs.

Gaining an understanding of the potential impacts of generative AI has become increasingly important to state court administrators. To help demystify this emerging technology, the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) has published, “Generative AI and the Future of the Courts.”

This policy paper recognizes the historical impact of artificial intelligence on court operations and procedures—both positive and negative—from streamlining administrative tasks to supplementing efforts to provide greater access to justice.

“COSCA believes that generative AI is poised to change the workplace as dramatically as the introduction of computers and case management software did in the early 1980s. We believe it can be used to substantially improve employee processes in many areas beyond legal research,” the paper states.

The comprehensive, 16-page policy paper outlines AI’s transformative potential within the judicial system and provides guidance for courts on its responsible implementation.

Read the full article here: COSCA, NCSC offer essential guidance for courts navigating the AI revolution | NCSC.